Author(s)

Rajkumar Krishnan, Ray Randle

John Flynn Medical Center, Gold Coast, Australia.

Anterior knee pain is a common symptom in general orthopedic practice and is reported in 8% of women and 2% of men over the age of 55 years. The treatment of isolated patellofemoral arthritis is controversial. Many patients can be effectively managed conservatively. Analysis was done on 14 patients (17 knees) with symptomatic isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis between 2001 and 2007. 3 patients had additional procedures like tibial tubercle osteotomy and lateral release, tibial tubercle osteotomy with medical plication and iliotibial band lengthening and lateral retinacular release. The operation should be viewed as a soft-tissue procedure involving resurfacing of the femoral trochlea and the articular surface of the patella. Proper balance of the extensor mechanism must be done at the time of surgery to ensure correct tracking of the patella which in turn results in the best outcome for the replacement.

Patellofemoral Arthroplasty, Patellar Maltracking, Patello Femoral Pain Lateral Retinacular Release, Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy

Krishnan, R. and Randle, R. (2014) The Importance of Extensor Mechanism in the Success of Patello-Femoral Arthroplasty. Open Journal of Orthopedics, 4, 221-225. doi: 10.4236/ojo.2014.48036.